Matthew 16:2-3
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Jesus highlights their hypocrisy by pointing out how readily they interpret natural signs for weather but refuse to see the obvious signs of God's kingdom unfolding before them. They can read the "face of the sky" to predict storms or sunshine, yet they willfully ignore the clear spiritual indicators of the Messiah's presence in their midst. This exposes their selective discernment, driven by pride and a lack of spiritual hunger rather than genuine ignorance.
He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Pharisees and Sadducees, despite their differences, have united to challenge Jesus, demanding a sign from heaven to prove his authority. Jesus responds by pointing out their hypocrisy: they readily interpret natural signs to predict the weather but refuse to see the clear signs of God's kingdom unfolding before them in his ministry. He chides them for being able to discern the signs of the sky but not the "signs of the times" pointing to his Messiahship.
Jesus uses a common observation about the sky to expose a deeper blindness. What did the Pharisees miss when they looked up?
When the Pharisees and Sadducees demanded a sign from heaven, Jesus didn't just dismiss them. He pointed out their hypocrisy with a relatable analogy:
Skillful Forecasters, Spiritual Blinders
They were adept at predicting the weather but utterly blind to the 'signs of the times' – the clear indications that the Messiah had arrived.
Why were these religious leaders so skilled at reading the sky but blind to God's plan unfolding before them?
Jesus calls them 'hypocrites' because their demand for a sign wasn't born from a genuine desire for truth, but from a deliberate intention to trap Him. He reveals that their failure wasn't due to a lack of evidence or intelligence, but a willful choice:
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The Root of Their Blindness
Their inability to 'discern the times' stemmed from a heart closed off to God's truth, preferring their own cleverness and agenda over humble submission.
Jesus uses a common, everyday observation – reading the weather from the sky – to highlight the hypocrisy and spiritual blindness of the religious leaders, who could discern natural signs but refused to see the clear spiritual signs of God's kingdom in their midst.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus traveled throughout Galilee and Judea, teaching, healing, and gathering followers, which increasingly drew the attention and opposition of religious authorities.
Early 1st century AD
Pharisees and Sadducees Unite
Though often rivals, the Pharisees and Sadducees formed a temporary alliance to challenge Jesus, viewing his growing influence and teachings as a threat to their established order.
Early 1st century AD
Demand for a Sign
The religious leaders, seeking to discredit Jesus, demanded he perform a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his divine authority. They were not seeking truth but attempting to trap him.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Rebuke
Jesus, frustrated by their hypocrisy and willful blindness, rebuked them, comparing their inability to discern the spiritual 'signs of the times' to their common ability to read weather signs from the sky.
This passage directly parallels Jesus' teaching, using the same analogy of observing the sky to discern weather patterns and contrasting it with the people's inability to discern the 'signs of the times' regarding God's kingdom.
Matthew 12:38Here, the scribes and Pharisees also demand a sign, and Jesus responds similarly, calling them an 'evil and adulterous generation' and stating that no sign will be given except for the sign of Jonah, highlighting their persistent unbelief.
1 Samuel 12:16This Old Testament passage shows a similar divine reprimand for demanding signs, where Samuel calls for thunder and rain from the Lord to demonstrate the people's sin in asking for a king.
John 6:30The crowd asks Jesus for a sign, similar to the Pharisees, showing a recurring theme of people seeking validation through supernatural signs rather than recognizing the divine presence and message already given.
calvinMatthew 16:1-4: "The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven."
- And the Pharisees, together with the Sadducees, came, and tempting desired that he would show them a sign from heaven. 2. But he answering said to them, About the commencement of the evening you say, It will be fine weather; for the sky is red. 3. And in the morning, There will be a storm today; for the sky is red and lowering. Hypocrites, you can judge aright of…
henryMatthew 16:1-4: "The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven."
16:1-4 The Pharisees and Sadducees were opposed to each other in principles and in conduct; yet they joined against Christ. But they desired a sign of their own choosing: they despised those signs which relieved the necessity of the sick and sorrowful, and called for something else which would gratify the curiosity of the proud. It is great hypocrisy, when we slight…
Jesus highlights their hypocrisy by pointing out how readily they interpret natural signs for weather but refuse to see the obvious signs of God's kingdom unfolding before them. They can read the "face of the sky" to predict storms or sunshine, yet they willfully ignore the clear spiritual indicators of the Messiah's presence in their midst. This exposes their selective discernment, driven by pride and a lack of spiritual hunger rather than genuine ignorance.
The Pharisees and Sadducees, despite their differences, have united to challenge Jesus, demanding a sign from heaven to prove his authority. Jesus responds by pointing out their hypocrisy: they readily interpret natural signs to predict the weather but refuse to see the clear signs of God's kingdom unfolding before them in his ministry. He chides them for being able to discern the signs of the sky but not the "signs of the times" pointing to his Messiahship.
The Pharisees and Sadducees, despite their differences, have united to challenge Jesus, demanding a sign from heaven to prove his authority. Jesus responds by pointing out their hypocrisy: they readily interpret natural signs to predict the weather but refuse to see the clear signs of God's kingdom unfolding before them in his ministry. He chides them for being able to discern the signs of the sky but not the "signs of the times" pointing to his Messiahship.
"He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you…" — Jesus highlights their hypocrisy by pointing out how readily they interpret natural signs for weather but refuse to see the obvious signs of God's kingdom unfolding before them. They can read the "fa…
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Last reviewed October 2026
